Virtual universes or virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments intended for its users or residents to inhabit and interact via avatars, which are personas or representations of the users of the virtual universes. These types of virtual universes are now most common in massively multiplayer online games such as Second Life®, which is a trademark of Linden Research Inc. in the United States. Avatars in these types of virtual universes, which can number well over a million, have a wide range of business and social experiences.
As virtual worlds become increasingly available, stable, and popular, they are now regularly being used as meeting places for individuals and businesses. This being the case, often an individual will schedule a time either alone or with others to perform some function within the virtual universe. The function may be a business meeting, a personal meeting, time to review and update avatar inventory, etc. Additionally, users enter a virtual universe to make purchases of real or virtual items. However, with prior art systems, users are unable to engage in these activities if the VU is temporarily unavailable.